East and West divide when it comes to holiday habits

Published:18:31Wednesday 25 May 2016

Holidaygoers in Glasgow are super smart at saving for their holidays each year, squeezing in up to five trips away by being savvy with their money.

However, Edinburgh travellers prefer to keep things casual when they go away, with only a third (35 per cent) claiming they are in control of their holiday budget, 13 per cent less than the national average and the least likely of any holidaymakers in Great Britain.

This is all according to new research from travel price comparison website, TravelSupermarket, which looks into Brits’ holiday habits.

The report says 17 per cent of Glaswegians prefer a city break as their main holiday – 70 per cent more than the national average (17 per cent compared to 10 per cent) and more so than the rest of Great Britain.

On average they take up to two city breaks a year, and a further 74 per cent take at least one week long holiday.

The findings also reveal that those in Scotland’s largest city are near perfect at planning – with more than a third (36 per cent) of respondents claiming that they save a set amount of money religiously each month before they go on holiday and typically book their holiday two to three months in advance.

A further 32 per cent allocate a set spending allowance each day to ensure they have enough budget to last their entire getaway.

Edinburgh residents, meanwhile, are the least likely to set a daily spending allowance, with two thirds (61 per cent) not putting one in place. They are also the second worst savers, with less than a quarter (22 per cent) ensuring that they save regularly every month ahead of their getaway.

Not only are they smart when it comes to budgeting, Glasgow residents also ensure they pack plenty of provisions when going away, with over one in 10 squeezing in biscuits and crisps (13 per cent and 12 per cent respectively), over a quarter (27 per cent) packing jumpers, coats and woolly socks and 22 per cent packing tea bags.

It’s not just tea they’re enjoying for liquid refreshment, 38 per cent of Glaswegians admit to drinking more alcohol on holiday than they do at home, compared to 31 per cent of those in Edinburgh.

Over a quarter (27 per cent) have their first drink before 1pm, versus just 17 per cent of people in the Scottish capital.

However, Edinburgh folk like to spend their foreign currency on gastronomic delights, with over half (55 per cent) saying most of their holiday spending money goes on food and eating out.

Thirty nine per cent go out of their way to try the local cuisine, while 12 per cent prefer to stick to food that they recognise. (This is in contrast to 8 per cent of Glaswegians who admit to having a Chinese or Indian meal when on holiday).

Almost a fifth (18 per cent) of holidaymakers in Glasgow like to spend the most money on taking excursions, twice as many as those in Edinburgh (nine per cent). In addition to this, Glaswegian travellers are the second happiest of all Brits to holiday alone (13 per cent), beaten only by the Welsh (17 per cent).

Almost a third (31 per cent) most look forward to getting some much needed vitamin D when they go away – perhaps to escape Glasgow’s 200 days of rainfall each year.

Edinburgh holidaymakers seem to prioritise dining out over sunbathing. A fifth (21 per cent) only spend an hour a day in the sun a day and over a third (36 per cent) don’t sun themselves at all.

Despite being keen to try local dishes, when on holiday people from Edinburgh are not interested in mingling with the locals or learning the lingo. Seventeen per cent say they don’t bother to get to know people in the destination they’re visiting – more likely than anywhere else in Great Britain, and only a quarter will learn a few phrases of the local lingo. Whereas 32 per cent of Glaswegians will try out their foreign language skills.

TravelSupermarket conducted research into Brits’ holiday habits to reveal how different holidaymakers enjoy their breaks.

It looked at a range of factors from the time of their first drink to the hours spent sunbathing and sightseeing.

To see how Glasgow amd Edinburgh compare to the rest of Great Britain, visit TravelSupermarket’s interactive infographic HERE

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at TravelSupermarket, said: “These findings shed new light on how Britain travels. Glaswegian holidaymakers are fantastic at being proactive at planning and budgeting trips, while it appears people from Edinburgh enjoy throwing caution to the wind when it comes to their holiday budget.

“When it comes to saving money remember to check different options to ensure your budget stretches as far as possible.

“They’re also not afraid to break the mould – from mixing up their choice of holidays to going away alone; as long as they get that all important vitamin D!”